Category UserResearch

Why Mozilla conducts qualitative user research

“Technology and business organizations often default to a positivist worldview and subsequently believe that quantitative results that provide numeric measures have the most value,” writes Bill Sellman, Lead User Researcher on Firefox. “The hype surrounding big data methods (and the…

Using sensors in design research

Elliott Hedman is the founder of the design consultancy mPath, where he’s pioneering a new approach to design research. It combines stress-testing sensors with traditional observational techniques. The idea is to uncover the tiny, often imperceptible emotional moments that shape…

Society’s sandbox

Steve Daniels, director at Makeshift magazine, explains why informal economies are the world’s biggest — and most overlooked — design research opportunity. “Informal economies are society’s sandbox, where early experimentation can take place freely. In the same way that thoughtless acts inspire us to…

Focus groups are worthless

If Erika Hall, co-founder of Mule Design, could achieve one thing with her time here on earth, Ishemight be content if that one thing could be burning to the ground the practice of running focus groups in place of actual…

Digital tools for design research

Dan Perkel of IDEO Labs shares how he and his colleagues use digital methods and tools to enhance the research process in five distinct activities: – Exploring the terrain and seeking quick inspiration – Recruiting research participants – Obtaining deep…

UX without user research is not UX

UX teams are responsible for creating desirable experiences for users. Yet many organizations fail to include users in the development process. Without customer input, organizations risk creating interfaces that fail, writes Hoa Loranger of the Nielsen Norman Group. “User experience…

Maybe the Voice of the Customer isn’t

Criticizing Voice of the Customer (VOC) programs is like speaking out against motherhood and apple pie, writes marketing consultant Ron Shevlin. Yet, he says, there are (at least) two problems with the “voice of the customer” that many marketers don’t…